


Where Our Hearts Lie

by forylisse



Category: Persona 3, Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Character Interpretation, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Angst, Eventual Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fake Character Death, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Female Persona 5 Protagonist, Fluff, Forgiveness, Grief/Mourning, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, POV Akechi Goro sometimes, Persona 5 Spoilers, Persona 5: The Royal, Redemption, Rewrite, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:36:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23437054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forylisse/pseuds/forylisse
Summary: (Royal edition? New and improved? Hopefully!)From day one at Shujin Academy, transfer student Akira Kurusu knew that her year-long probation was not going to be as mundane and quiet as she had hoped. She finds herself becoming the charismatic and confident leader of a vigilante group known as the Phantom Thieves, willing to do anything to ensure her team's success....Even if it includes having to 'seduce' Goro Akechi, the dogged 'Second Detective Prince' determined to put the Thieves' justice to the test.
Relationships: Amada Ken/Niijima Makoto, Arisato Minako/Sanada Akihiko, Female Akira Kurusu/Goro Akechi, Female Akira Kurusu/Yusuke Kitagawa, Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann
Comments: 13
Kudos: 87





	1. Her Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> hello!  
> after clawing my way out of writer's block, having an existential crisis about the original version of WHOL and deleting it to start anew, here i am! what better way to spend quarantine, right?  
> I'm hoping this version will be more coherent to follow, especially with the timeline i'm establishing because the original jumped around a bit, and i have a clearer sense of how i want things to develop so please look forward to it if you'd like!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!  
> after clawing my way out of writer's block, having an existential crisis about the state of my original version of WHOL and deleting it to start anew, here i am again...  
> what better time to start writing again than quarantine, right?   
> i'm hoping that this version is a bit more coherent in terms of time and setting as the original jumped around a bit with no warning. i also have a clearer sense of how i want everything to unfold this time, so !! please enjoy!!

_With a brisk stride, a sharply dressed prosecutor traversed the dimly lit hallways of the underground holding facility. When she reached her destination, the lone interrogation room at the very end of the labyrinth-like corridor, she clucked her tongue in annoyance when she realized that she had...company to deal with._

_Various detectives and guards lingered outside of the interrogation room like vultures lingered around their freshly ravished corpse, hoping to find another morsel to devour._

_"I'm Sae Nijima from the Public Prosecutor's Office. I'm here to interrogate the suspect," she barked, flashing her badge to the goons before her. "Now, if you'll move aside, I need to go confirm something with the suspect."_

_The men glanced at one another knowingly. Snide smirks crawled across their faces._

_"I'm afraid that this case isn't in your jurisdiction anymore, Prosecutor," one of the condescending guards snarked. "Didn't you hear it from the SIU Director himself? You have no authority here. We already have someone to take care of the interrogation."_

_"No, no, actually she's good to go."_

_All eyes turned to the newest arrival to the scene; a silver-haired detective, distinguishable from his peers due to his bandaged face and blazer lazily slung over his shoulder._

_"No authority, huh?" the silver-haired man asked nonchalantly as he approached the condescending guard, snatching the latter's sunglasses right off of his face. He crushed them with his bare hand. "What, you think wearing these cheap things made you hot shit?"_

_"T-these were direct orders from the SIU Director himself, Detective Sanada."_

_"I just got off the phone with dear old Director Ikutsuki himself, actually. I came here to pass his message along," Sanada said, his poisonous tone practically dripping from his lips. "Prosecutor Sae Nijima is to interrogate the suspect as she sees fit until the second interrogator arrives."_

_Sae turned to her newfound ally. Her eyes, creased with skepticism, met his unwavering gaze. He gave her a slight nod, as if he was assuaging her suspicions without her needing to verbalize them._

_"...Fine. Just keep in mind that the suspect is dangerous, Prosecutor Nijima. Keep her entertained until your replacement arrives, yeah?" the condescending guard sputtered, snatching his destroyed sunglasses back from Sanada's hand. "Make sure you aren't too...biased towards her, yeah?"_

_"I'll keep that in mind." Sae growled, opening and slamming the door behind her._

_As soon as she was out of sight, the guards scoffed, rubbing the backs of their necks in frustration._

_"That bitch can't accomplish anything in such a short amount of time," the condescending guard murmured. He turned to glare at Sanada. "Detective Sanada, go make yourself useful and tell Akechi-san to hurry it up."_

_"Sure. I'll go get him right away," Sanada sighed, tossing the goons a condescending wave as he left the same way he came. "Right away...right away..."_

_Sanada smirked. It was time for the second part of his plan to commence._

+++++

_The infamous leader of the Phantom Thieves, the fearful vigilante that clenched the public's attention in their firm grasp for six months straight, was none other than a high school girl._

_"Sorry if the slamming startled you," Sae said gently as she sat down across from the girl at the interrogation table. "You must've been through a lot. Can you hear me?"_

_The girl remained silent._

_"...Can you hear me? Akira Kurusu, can you hear me?"_

_The girl's doe-like eyes possessed a glassy gleam; her gaze was distant, a mere shadow of their usual vibrancy. Bruises blotted the corners of her lips and underneath of her eyes. Her petite figure seemed to be swallowed by the ominous aura of the room._

_It was as if there was nothing more than an empty shell seated at the table._

_Sae's eyes wandered around the room in the meantime. A syringe, the tip of which was still dripping with the clear liquid drug inside, lie on the floor. A pair of round glasses-Akira's 'signature' glasses-were shattered. The floor tiles seemed to be wet, most likely from water dumped out from the dented bucket laying abandoned in the corner of the room._

_Upon further inspection, Akira herself was wet-the thin white turtleneck of her Shujin uniform was damp, her bra visible._

_Sae clucked her tongue in disgust for the detectives as she removed her blazer to drape around the girl._

_"Those bastards..." she grumbled to herself before regaining her composure. "Kurusu, as long as I'm in here, they can't do anything to you. You just have to cooperate with me and tell me the whole truth."_

_"...The whole truth?" Akira asked, the words barely escaping from her lips. "You already know that."_

_"Do you truly expect me to believe that a 'world' exists inside of people's hearts which you then steal? I know better than to assume that you're an elaborate prankster, especially because I can't establish a case for it, but you have to tell me the whole truth about your methods."_

_"...If you don't believe me now, you should start soon," Akira scoffed. Even in her predicament, she still possessed her sharp tongue. "Because this 'world' is all you're going to hear about."_

_"I want to hear about everything. Everything from when you stepped foot in Tokyo-everything from the very beginning."_

_Akira smiled._

* * *

April 9th, 20XX.

She never expected that her first visit to Tokyo would be for probation.

Staring in awe at the flashy lights of the city and the towering buildings enveloping her vision, Akira stood firmly in place, disregarding the waves of people pushing her to and fro. 

Pulling out her phone to take a photo, Akira's eyes narrowed in confusion as a blood red app appeared on her screen. She didn't have many apps on her phone-mainly due to deleting her social media accounts and changing her phone number-so the strange red app stood out even more upon her barren home screen. A black eye was displayed as the app icon which seemed to pulsate. 

"Ma'am? Ma'am, excuse me," a young voice said. "Can you...help me?"

Akira glanced at the young boy who suddenly appeared before her.

In the bustling crowd of people, the boy completely stood out from the rest. Deep blue clothing contrasted against the pale white skin of the child. The golden accents of his clothing matched perfectly with the golden tone of his single visible eye; the other was covered with an eyepatch. 

"O-oh, a-are you lost...?" Akira asked gently, silently wondering if the boy was in an elaborate cosplay costume. 

"I think you're the one that's lost, lady!" 

Another boy suddenly appeared. He looked identical to the other child and shared the same eccentric fashion sense-this boy, however, had a much messier hairstyle and his eyepatch was on the opposite eye. 

"Look around-haven't you noticed anything wrong?!" the more mischievous boy chirped, gesturing wildly.

Akira's eyes widened as she realized that the rest of the city seemingly froze in time.

"Huh...well, this will certainly be a difficult rehabilitation," the calmer boy sighed. "Well, at least we can plan accordingly now, Daniel."

Before Akira could say more, time seemed to resume as if nothing was wrong. As people resumed their movements, the two young boys seemed to fade into the crowd and vanish, but not before waving goodbye to Akira. 

Shaking the situation off as nothing more than an anxiety-induced daydream, Akira decided to continue on her way.

+++++

Nestled in a back alley of Yongen-jaya was the small coffee shop, Cafe Leblanc, owned by Sojiro Sakura. 

Only two customers were inside of the establishment when Akira peeked through the windows; both were elderly and clearly enjoying their conversation as their cups were completely empty. Perched upon a counter stool was an older man staring blankly at his newspaper. 

"A shellfish harvested for pearls..." the older man murmured to himself, tapping his pen against his leg irritably as he tried to solve the newspaper's crossword puzzle. Even as the small bell upon the door chimed as Akira slowly entered, the man's gaze did not waver from his puzzle. "Huh..."

"Clams?" Akira answered without even realizing it. It did, however, succeed in attracting the man's attention.

"No, it's seven letters," the man grumbled, tossing the paper across the counter as he slowly rose to his feet. "What'll you have?"

"U-uh, I-I'm..."

"Sakura-san, we're heading out! Our money is on the table," one of the elderly customers interjected. "If you keep at it with those tricky puzzles, you're gonna have one of those mental shutdowns like everyone else!'

"That isn't something to joke about but I'll keep that in mind," Sojiro murmured, his attention now turned to the money on the table. "Thanks for stopping by."

"Oh, Sakura-san, always so serious!"

As the elderly customers shuffled out of the store, Sojiro finished putting the newly acquired money in the small strongbox he used as a register. 

"Figure out what you'll have yet?"

"I-I'm actually, um, Akira Kurusu," Akira eked out, bowing slightly. "I-it's nice to meet you."

Sojiro's eyebrow arched in surprise.

"You're the punk that I'm supposed to watch over? Akira Kurusu, the one on probation? You're kidding," Sojiro scanned her appearance carefully. "I was expecting...someone else."

Akira laughed nervously, though she was also thankful for his reaction. 

She had purposely chosen to change her appearance prior to her arrival in Tokyo: she hoped that a self-cut wispy fringe and round non-prescription glasses would help her blend into the crowd better. The less attention she attracted, the better.

"Well, come on now," Sojiro sighed, leading Akira to the back alcove of the cafe where an aged staircase was. "This is where you'll be staying. Up here."

"An attic?"

"Yeah, yeah, but don't worry-there's a bed."

At the top of the stairs was a spacious albeit dirty room. Cloth sheets covered most of the furniture, turning them into nothing more than obscure outlines. A bed, bare of any dressings, lay in the corner of the room with a cardboard box atop of it. 

"Well, this is your room for the year. Obviously it's dirty, but it'll be up to you to clean it," Sojiro gestured towards the box lying upon her bed. "There's your 'luggage' that your parents sent. Pretty light."

"...Okay."

"I left bedsheets somewhere around here for you too. You'll have to find them."

Akira wondered if she was on probation or a treasure hunt.

"Even if you seem normal, I don't trust you, so don't do anything stupid after I close up for the night. If anything goes missing or out of place, I won't hesitate to kick you out."

"...Okay."

"Tomorrow we have to go to Shujin so that we can properly introduce ourselves to the faculty-you should be grateful, you know. Shujin's a pretty good school and they were willing to accept someone like you."

"...Okay."

"Is that all you know how to say?" Sojiro scoffed, rubbing the back of his neck in exasperation. "Well, I'll leave you to it for now."

As soon as Sojiro descended back down the stairs, Akira sighed in relief. 

Glancing around the room, she sighed, realizing the sheer amount of cleaning that she would have to accomplish to make the room hospitable.

Starting with the luggage upon her bed, she hoped to find more comfortable clothes to change into. She stopped, however, when she noticed that a hoodie string was stuck in the tape sealing the box shut. Sojiro must have searched her belongings-after all, she figured there was no way that her parents of all people would send a package that disorganized. 

No matter how much they disliked her, she knew that their pride would never let them expose a weakness, even as minor as a packaging error.

After three straight hours of dusting, sweeping and trash collecting, Akira finally had a room to call her own (as long as she ignored the bags of trash and steel ladder lying immovable in the corner of the room). 

"Geez, I thought you were making a lot of noise up here, but I never expected it to be from cleaning."

"I-I'm sorry if I was...t-too loud..." Sojiro sighed.

"How did you of all people get a criminal record when you act like this?" he scoffed. "But, I did get the gist of your situation. A guy tried to pick you up, you assaulted him, he sued you."

"...Not really, but..."

"Well, it doesn't matter what exactly happened, because now you have to deal with the consequences. If you don't cause trouble for one year, then your probation is lifted. So until then, don't do anything stupid and just try to live normally."

"...That's the plan."

"You should get some sleep now. We have an early day tomorrow," Sojiro grumbled. "If you wake up late, I'm just going to leave you here and you'll have to figure out how to get to Shujin on your own."

"...Okay."

+++++

When she opened her eyes, she was met with a strange sight.

Rather than the aged wooden ceiling of the Cafe Leblanc attic, there was instead a strange blue mist obscuring the ceiling where rusted chains dangled freely. Droplets of water rhythmically fell into an open toilet. 

The most confusing part, however, was the fact that Akira's ankles were shackled together with a cold metal chain. Instead of the comfortable pajamas that she fell asleep in, she was instead in a black and white striped prisoner uniform.

Akira slowly rose off of the hard cell bed that she had been laying upon, struggling to make sure that the shackles would not cause her to fall. She realized, with much confusion, that she was in a legitimate jail cell.

"So you're finally awake, inmate!" a familiar mischievous voice yelped. "Took you long enough!"

"Now, now, Daniel. Do not startle our guest-she has just awoken, after all." 

The two young boys from earlier suddenly appeared on the other side of the cell door. The impish twin, Daniel, wielded a baton while the calm twin, Nathaniel, simply held a clipboard. 

"D-did you little freaks kidnap me?" Akira asked nervously, gripping the bars of her cell. "Let me out of here."

"We did not kidnap you-your real self is currently sound asleep in your cozy attic abode." Nathaniel replied calmly.

"Wh-what the fu-"

"Please, allow me to explain," a much deeper voice interjected. "You are, after all, an esteemed guest of my Velvet Room."

Outside of the cell was a strange looking man with a very large nose and wide, pulsating eyes. He sat at a desk, hands clasped, eagerly staring at Akira.

"That's our Master, inmate, so you better listen good to what he has to say!" Daniel screeched, banging his baton on the bars of Akira's cell as if he was playing the xylophone. 

"I am Igor; I am the Master of this Velvet Room. That, however, is not the important topic at hand. Rather, it is the topic of your rehabilitation."

"Rehabilitation? What are you talking about?"

"See, Master?! This is what I meant earlier when I said she's an idiot! How is she supposed to realize what's going on when she couldn't even realize that time was frozen around her?!" Daniel yelped. He yelped again, however, when Nathaniel smacked him with the back of his clipboard.

"It just means that we will have to try harder as her collaborators to truly perfect her rehabilitation."

"Forgive the antics of those two-they are, as you can tell, rowdy in their own special way. Perhaps their siblings did not discipline them enough," Igor sighed, though the smile on his face never wavered. "But wouldn't you like the freedom to change your accursed fate?"

"M-my accursed fate...? The only accursed thing is...is...your nose!!"

Before Daniel could react, Nathaniel once again smacked him with the back of his clipboard, preventing another outburst.

"This world...this society...is all corrupt. Distorted. If left unbothered, everything will be engulfed by the malevolent machinations of heartless individuals. Worst of all, you will die if you fail to change this course of fate, Akira Kurusu."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok that's all the time i got, i have to get back to playing Animal Crossing New Horizons for my Nintendo Switch


	2. Her Encounter

April 10th, 20XX

"...And that about does it," Principal Kobayakawa, the rotund headmaster of Shujin Academy, snarled. "Do you understand, Akira Kurusu? One wrong move and you will be expelled."

Akira, however, was quite distracted by her thought that the principal resembled a strange egg-human hybrid. The thought of one dozen mini Kobayakawas in an egg carton was...interesting to her (or, at least more interesting than the tirade that she would have had to listen to). 

There were only so many ways to reiterate one single message: Akira Kurusu is a blight upon society. She had heard it all before.

"This is your homeroom teacher, Sadayo Kawakami," Principal Kobayakawa continued, gesturing towards the melancholic woman beside him. She had been so quiet throughout the entire meeting that Akira had even forgotten that she was there. "Anything you'd like to add, Kawakami-san?"

"Uh...well, here's your student ID," the woman stated uninterestedly, tossing it upon Kobayakawa's desk. Much to her dismay, a bright pink piece of paper was stuck to the ID card. Kawakami hurriedly shoved the paper back into her pocket. "A-anyway, tomorrow morning, come to the faculty office and I'll show you to our classroom. A-also, like what Principal Kobayakawa said, if you do something wrong then I can't help you at all. You'll be on your own."

  
"I-I understand," Akira meekly stated. "Th-thank you."

After another mini tirade about 'the pride of Shujin Academy which must be upheld at all times', Akira and the stoic Sojiro were finally allowed to leave for the day.

The two walked in silence throughout the empty hallways. 

The school was different than the one in her hometown-cleaner, larger and shinier. It seemed to radiate with an equally intimidating and prestigious aura which could only be found in Tokyo. The uniforms even reflected the prestige, with its classy red, black and white color scheme and sharp fits.

Though she would never admit it, Akira loved the uniforms. If she had to choose one positive result of her probation and transfer, it would definitely be the fact that the school uniforms were so stylish compared to the ones back home. She was pleased that she could take pride in her appearance without the risk of attracting too much attention to herself.

"...So, what do you think?" Sojiro asked, interrupting Akira's thoughts. "Do you think you'll survive here? I mean, not that you have a choice, but still."

"I-I think I'll scrape by..." Akira eked out, silently cursing herself when she realized how shady her statement sounded. "I mean, o-of course I'll be alright..."

"...Well, before we leave, I'm going to use the restroom," Sojiro sighed, looking around the hallways curiously. "I have a feeling that traffic is going to be a pain in the ass."

"I-I'll wait here," Akira replied, watching as Sojiro began to head towards the restrooms. "...I need a minute to myself anyway..."

She pulled out her phone to check the time-she sighed upon realizing that the strange red app was still downloaded upon her phone despite countless attempts to delete it throughout the morning. 

The only theory that seemed logical (?) to her was that upon her arrival in Tokyo, the two strange blue children had somehow forced the app onto her phone and harassed her, which lead to her bizarre dream of being imprisoned by them and their large-nosed master. Alternatively, she felt that she just needed a proper night's rest to get her brain back in order. It had been a rough few days.

Akira could hear heavy footsteps approaching from behind her. Figuring that it was Sojiro, she quickly shoved her phone back into her pocket and turned to greet him.

Instead of Sojiro, however, it was a muscular younger man who greeted her eagerly.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the muscular man grinned. "School isn't in session today, little lady, unless you're here for some...private lessons?"

"O-oh, uh, I-I'm actually a tr-transfer student..." Akira eked out, bowing slightly to the older man. "Ak-Akira Kurusu..."

"Ahh, our famed new transfer student, huh?" the man's eyes scanned her thoroughly. "Well now, I heard the rumors and I find it hard to believe that a little lady like you could do such a thing-you look like you couldn't hurt a fly!"

Akira remained silent, shifting uncomfortably.

"Ahh, I haven't even introduced myself yet. I'm Suguru Kamoshida, the PE teacher here at Shujin. I'm a pretty big deal here, so if any students ever give you trouble or if you ever feel lonely, then feel free to come to me right away."

"A-ah, th-thank you..."

Kamoshida clasped his hands upon Akira's shoulders, grinning widely.

"You seem like a good girl, Kurusu-chan. I'll protect you here. I'm on your side."

"Ahh, geez, I got lost in these damn hallways..." Sojiro murmured, having finally returned from his bathroom detour. He blinked when he noticed Kamoshida's presence. "Ah. Who are you?" 

"Ah, you must be her guardian. I'm Suguru Kamoshida, the PE teacher here at Shujin. You might've heard of me before."

"...Huh. I'm Sojiro Sakura and I don't believe I've heard of you before. I don't have any children who go here or anything," Sojiro replied confusedly. "Anyway, I think we should be heading out now. Traffic is definitely a pain by now."

As the two exchanged awkward farewells with Kamoshida, the sunny smile plastered upon his face vanished as soon as their backs were turned.

+++++

"Well, that was an interesting time," Sojiro sighed, head pressed against his steering wheel in exasperation. "And now we get to rot in traffic. Ugh, it's been worse because of all these goddamn accidents..."

"Accidents?" Akira asked, glancing at Sojiro curiously.

"Ah, yeah, you probably don't know much about them, huh? Lots of weird shit happening recently-just a few days ago, a train derailed and crashed right onto the station platform," he grimaced. "Luckily nobody was killed, but...well, as you can see, nobody seems to want to take the subway right now."

"Th-that's terrible..."

"It's been bad lately. Just last year there was a real bad car accident-the girl who died was only fifteen, too. Her parents must have been a mess. Hoo," Sojiro took a breath. "I just hope she didn't see the news report...not typically her thing, but she's always on her computer..."

"Wh-who are you talking about, Sakura-san...?"

"Hm? Oh. It's nothing," Sojiro shook himself out of his thoughts. "Forget I said anything. Also, just call me Sojiro. Sakura-san sounds too...stiff, especially if we have to put up with each other for a year."

"A-ah...um, okay, S-s-soji-"

"Geez, don't have a stroke over it...ah! Traffic's finally moving! Finally!" Sojiro exclaimed happily, slapping his hand against the steering wheel. "Thought we'd be spending your whole probation here. Speaking of which, check in the glovebox. I have something to give you."

"Eh?" Akira popped open the glove box as instructed and found a small leather journal. "Is this wh-what you're talking about?"

Barely sparing her a glance, Sojiro grunted in confirmation.

"Use it as a diary or whatever girls like to do with those types of things," Sojiro said, eyes fixated on the road. "I have to report on your activities and whatnot, so focus on writing about what you spend your free time doing. I don't wanna read about boys or shit like that."

"D-do you trust me...?" 

"Huh? Are you gonna lie in it or something?" Sojiro scoffed. "Doesn't seem like your type of thing. Besides, as long as you don't do anything stupid, I don't really care what you do."

"I-I mean, I-I just...don't know what I'll end up writing...b-besides eating....sleeping..."

"Then just write that stuff. It'll make you look good-it'll mean that you took this probation seriously," Sojiro glanced at her curiously. "Don't you have any hobbies though?"

"N-not really..."

"Huh. Maybe I'll make you help me around the store then. Teach you how to make coffee and all that."

* * *

April 11th, 20XX

If looks could kill, she would be dead one hundred times over.

"Isn't it true that she assaulted a guy after he refused to have sex with her? What a crazy slut..."

"I've heard that she makes lots of money through compensated dating and selling lewd photos...she'll probably become a prostitute one day, if she's not one already."

"Oh, Kamoshida will definitely like her..."

"Do you think she only got accepted here because she gave Principal Kobayakawa some...special service? Ugh, I don't even want to think about that..."

The intense stares, the hushed whispers, the fervent pointing...it was as if Akira was a prisoner standing before a council ready to condemn her. Throughout her self-introduction, throughout the lessons, she could continuously feel judgmental gazes piercing her skin.

By lunch, Akira was already exhausted at the thought of having to survive a whole year at Shujin.

"Just let me eat these chips in peace.." Akira murmured to herself, hoping that the spring breeze would carry her whispers far into the distance. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass of the vending machine.

The courtyard of Shujin was comprised of the interconnected outdoor corridors leading to the different parts of the school as well as gazebo-like rest areas. Fortunately, Akira was alone in her particular rest area-most likely due to passerby students glancing at her and turning in the other direction.

Not that she minded.

"Ah, there you are!" a girl's voice chirped, causing Akira to collapse onto the ground in surprise. "O-oh my gosh, I'm sorry..."

The girl extended her slender bandaged hand towards Akira, helping the latter back to her feet.

"A-ah, no, it's okay..." 

"Are you hurt?! I'm sorry, I just wanted to meet you..." the girl smiled sadly. "My name is Shiho Suzui. I, um, just wanted to say that I'd be happy to be your friend if you need one!"

Akira stared at her in silence. The girl seemed to emanate a graceful yet clumsy energy. Her dark brunette hair was pulled into a high ponytail, secured with a bright pink ribbon, and small bandages lined her jawline.

"EEP! That sounded really rude of me, didn't it...I, uh, just know how hard it is to adjust to things here. So...don't let people get you down, okay?"

"O-oh...thank you..."

Shiho shuffled excitedly as something in the distance caught her attention. She waved eagerly, summoning whatever had attracted her gaze.

A blonde girl hesitantly walked over and stood next to Shiho defensively. Akira could recognize the girl as the classmate who sat in front of her in class-the blonde voluminous pigtails were unmistakable.

"Ann! This is-"

"The new student with a criminal record? Yeah, I know," the girl, Ann, snapped. "You shouldn't be spending time around her, Shiho. It's gonna hurt your reputation."

"A-Ann...how could you say that...?" Shiho asked sadly, staring at her friend with bewildered eyes. "I thought you of all people would understand how hard it is to feel isolated...! I know the feeling too!"

"And that's exactly why we should steer clear of her!" Ann retaliated, pointing to Akira despite the former refusing to acknowledge the latter with eye contact. "We worked too hard to build ourselves up just to be associated with...with...a criminal!"

As the two friends continued to argue, Akira just stood, watching and listening. Though Ann's unexpected words did sting a bit, they were nothing new or surprising to Akira.

She, however, failed to notice Ann's face become paler and paler with each cruel word that spilled from her lips. 

"Ann, you're being ridiculous...!" 

"Shiho, just listen to me!" Ann sighed exasperatedly, pushing Shiho back towards the school. "You listen too! Don't come near us. We don't want to be involved with you."

"Ann!"

Akira sighed, once again leaning against the vending machine for support as she watched Ann and Shiho retreat into the distance. The entire exchange had exhausted her even more than she had already felt. 

Just one friend for one year. She wondered; was it really too much to ask for?

+++++

The day finally came to an end.

Though it was just the first day out of many, Akira felt that she had already completed her year's worth of probation.

She slowly trudged out of her classroom, being pushed to and fro by her eager classmates rushing to seek their friends. 

Exactly one year ago, she was the same way. With an eager smile on her face, Akira would rush into the hallways, cheerfully uniting with her friends. Together, they would leave the school, arm in arm, pondering what to eat as an after-school snack...

"Ah, Kurusu-chan, there you are," a voice stated, interrupting Akira's thoughts. She stopped dead in her tracks-she didn't even realize that she was already outside, right in front of the school building as she was too consumed by her memories. "Done for the day?"

Glancing back, Akira was greeted by Suguru Kamoshida's grinning face.

"A-ah, hello, sensei..." she replied weakly, shifting her gaze to the pavement beneath her feet. "Y-yes, I'm on my way to the station..."

"The station? There's been so many accidents lately; I'd hate for something to happen today, especially since you probably don't know your way around the city yet, right?" Kamoshida cooed. "Let me drive you home. Besides-I heard that Takamaki-san was giving you a hard time today. You can tell me all about it, if you'd like."

"O-oh, no, i-it's quite alright, I have to learn s-somehow, right?" Akira laughed nervously, shifting away from the muscular man. "Please, if you'll e-excuse me..."

He gripped her shoulder-despite his gentle touch, she could feel a subtle force within his fingertips, as if he was warning her to stay put.

"It's no big deal, Kurusu-chan," Kamoshida replied softly. "It'll be my gift to you to celebrate your first day here at Shujin-"

"You pervert, get your goddamn hands off of her!" 

Before Akira could comprehend what was happening, her bag dropped to the ground as she suddenly had to run to keep up with the person pulling her away from Kamoshida.

The only defining feature of her sudden savior was a disheveled flash of blonde hair.

Fearing that her phone would drop from her pocket, Akira took it out and gripped it in her hand. She failed to notice the screen suddenly load what appeared to be an audio recorder.

"S-sorry about all that..." the blonde boy gasped as he came to a slow stop, releasing Akira's hand gently. He clutched his leg, grunting. "I just couldn't stand by and let that pervert take advantage of you."

"P-pervert?" Akira asked, also catching her breath. "W-who, Kamoshida-sensei?"

"Of course!" the blonde boy snapped. "Haven't you noticed? He acts like he's some king of a castle with a girl on each arm...ugh! He makes me sick..."

"I-I, uh, just transferred here today..."

"O-oh? You're the transfer student, Akira Kurusu?" the blonde boy asked in surprise, suddenly blushing. "I, uh, thought you would be a guy...b-but that doesn't matter right now! J-just be careful around Kamoshida-sensei, alright? He's just bad news."

"W-well...thank you," Akira said softly, bowing. "I-I could tell he was...strange."

"Strange doesn't even begin to describe him," the boy replied. "O-oh, I didn't even introduce myself. I'm Ryuji Sakamoto." 

"...Um, Sakamoto-san? Where are we?"

"Hmm? I think we should be near the station-oh! Sorry, did I drag you in the wrong direction?"

"N-no, I just th-think that I dropped my bag on the way here...I don't have it on me."

"For real?! Ah, shit, my bad...let's go back for it, okay? And if we see Kamoshida again, I'll just tell him to screw off."

The two nodded in agreement with one another, starting their walk back to Shujin in awkward silence. 

She wasn't sure whether it was her mind playing tricks on her or if they were in a hidden back alley, but the sounds of car horns and shoes clacking on pavement suddenly seemed to fade. 

It was exactly like her first day in the city-however, Ryuji was still moving. She shook the thoughts out of her mind, blaming them on her nerves.

"...Um, hey, we didn't make a wrong turn anywhere, right?" Ryuji suddenly asked, stopping dead in his tracks. "I know my way around here but something is definitely...wrong."

"Wr-wrong?" Akira asked. "What do you mean-"

Her eyes widened as she followed Ryuji's line of sight.

Looming before them was a humongous castle, engulfing the two in its shadow.


	3. Her Resolve

"Where...am I?"

Akira slowly opened her eyes, blinking repeatedly as a blurry silhouette gradually formed a coherent shape. It was a golden chandelier, adorned with diamonds and brightly colored gemstones. She laid upon a lush bed covered bright pink satin sheets.

"...How did I get here...?" Akira murmured groggily. Was she in a bedroom? As she struggled to comprehend her situation, a faint throbbing pain echoed against the back of her head. 

The last thing she could remember was returning to Shujin to reclaim her dropped bag, only to find a castle instead. After that, everything was a blur. 

The arched double doors suddenly opened with a bang, presenting a muscular man adorned in a flowing cape and glistening crown. Beside him was an armored ghastly-looking creature.

"Are you awake now, my dear mistress?" the muscular man asked. Upon further inspection, the only clothes that the man wore were a pair of heart-patterned boxers. Even worse, however, was the man's striking resemblance to Suguru Kamoshida.

"K-Kamoshida-sensei...?" Akira eked out, flinching. "What..."

"I-I apologize for attacking you, mistress!" the ghastly creature screeched before Akira could finish speaking. "I-I knew that intruders were reported so I assumed you were one of them!"

"Absolute scum," Kamoshida(?) immediately replied, kicking the creature into a kneeling position. "How dare you raise a hand against my precious mistress. Know your place."

Akira watched in silent horror as a shining blade materialized in Kamoshida(?)'s hand.

"W-wait, what are you-?!' Akira shouted in alarm. 

Her words fell upon deaf ears. With a mighty swing, Kamoshida(?) swung his sword and the creature's head rolled to the floor before dissolving into a black mist. 

"The punishment for disobeying me is death," Kamoshida(?) stated firmly as the sword vanished. "You would do well to remember that...but you're a good girl, aren't you? Couldn't even hurt a fly."

"K-Kamoshida-sensei, what's going on...?!" Akira snapped. "Wh-what is this place?! Where's my friend...?!"

"Your friend?" Kamoshida(?) scoffed. "You mean your kidnapper? He's in the dungeon where he belongs. I haven't decided how to execute him yet."

It was obvious to Akira that her complaints and questions would simply be deflected. It was also obvious that she wasn't exactly in a position to be fighting back, unless she wanted her head to roll as well.

Perhaps if she could find Ryuji, they could overpower him together. Perhaps they could escape from whatever Kamoshida(?) had orchestrated.

"A-ah...you should do it now," Akira said softly. She hoped that Kamoshida(?) couldn't notice her hands shaking. "I-I want to watch...I want to see how strong you are."

"Good girl," Kamoshida(?) cooed, pulling her off of the bed. "Let's go show that scum where he belongs."

+++++

After being led through various spacious corridors, Akira and Kamoshida(?) arrived in the dungeons. 

Along the way, Akira carefully observed her surroundings, taking note of where each door led and how heavily guarded each corridor was. They truly were in a castle-where and why, however, was still unknown.

"Allow me to summon my guards just in case the prisoner gets rowdy," Kamoshida stated before he they continued farther into the dungeon chamber. "He needs to know that he's outnumbered here. He needs to know fear before he dies."

"B-but, I think that you should do it alone..." Akira cooed. Biting her lip as if to prevent herself from cursing, Akira hesitantly nuzzled Kamoshida(?)'s arm. "It'll be so much...sexier if you do it by yourself. Make him fear y-you and only you."

"...How can I say no to my favorite mistress?" Kamoshida(?) sighed, relenting. "Your stammer makes you sound so deliciously vulnerable even when you're making commands...you certainly know how to arouse me."

Akira laughed nervously.

"Let me hold the dungeon keys for you...you're going to need both hands free, after all." She pocketed the silver keys anxiously.

As they descended further into the dungeon, Akira watched in silent agony as multiple figures wearing strange helmets were imprisoned in cells and tortured in various ways.

"Wh-who are they?" Akira asked quietly, struggling to remain calm as she observed a helmeted figure get repeatedly shot with volleyballs. "What have they done?"

"Ah, them? Those worthless whelps?" Kamoshida(?) snorted. "They needed discipline." 

Akira felt like her body was twisting, squeezing the breath right out of her lungs. 

"And here he is," Kamoshida(?) loudly announced. "The scummiest piece of shit that ever crawled into Shujin."

Inside of the cell was Ryuji, crumpled and bruised. Beside him was a strange...cat(?) lying unconscious.

"A-Akira!" Ryuji shouted, leaping to his feet as soon as Kamoshida(?) opened the cell. "Y-you're okay! Did Kamoshida do anything to you?!"

"How dare you refer to my mistress by her name!" Kamoshida(?) growled, kicking Ryuji back down. "She requested to witness your execution as punishment for kidnapping her. You're always butting in where you're not wanted and causing problems, Sakamoto. It's time for you to die."

As Kamoshida(?) spoke, Akira locked eyes with Ryuji. She pointed at herself then towards Kamoshida(?) before wrapping her arms around herself. She then pointed at Ryuji and made a fist. She also flashed him a peek of the silver key resting in her pocket.

Despite the confusion plastered upon his face, Ryuji nodded.

Akira leapt behind Kamoshida(?), wrapping her arms around his back and arms. He was so muscular that her hands barely reached his sides, leaving Ryuji plenty of space to strike without worry.

"You're so strong...!" Akira cooed. "So cool...!"

Kamoshida(?) moaned from the distraction. At that, Ryuji leapt to his feet once more and punched Kamoshida(?) directly in the stomach, causing him to crumple to the ground.

Quickly grabbing the unconscious cat, Ryuji and Akira sprint out of the cell, locking Kamoshida(?) inside. 

"You...you stupid whore," Kamoshida(?) growled, fixating solely on Akira. "Are you really choosing that stupid track traitor instead of me, the pride and joy of Shujin, an Olympian athlete!?"

"Oh, shut up about your stupid Olympian shit!" Ryuji groaned, kicking the bars of the cell. "That doesn't mean you can be a complete piece of shit to people!"

"Ah, I see your leg must've healed if you can kick with it," Kamoshida(?) sneered. "Before I kill you, I'll crush the other one with my bare hands and watch you suffer."

Ryuji stiffened; Akira smacked his shoulder anxiously.

"W-we need to leave," Akira stated, gesturing Ryuji towards the corridor which she and Kamoshida(?) used to reach him. "Ignore him. Ignore him, we need to leave."

"Bold of you both to assume that you'll make it out of here alive," Kamoshida(?) laughed. "You'll both regret this."

"Oh, shut the hell up already! Rot in there, you bastard!" Ryuji shouted back, regaining his energy. He grabbed the cell key from Akira and tossed it into the stream-like sewer running throughout the chamber.

Akira guided him through the dungeon, having memorized the route on her descent. As they approached the staircase which would lead them back to the upper levels of the castle, Ryuji stopped suddenly and approached one of the cells cautiously.

"W-wait, are those...?!" Ryuji's eyes widened as he glanced at the same group of tortured prisoners that Akira witnessed on her way down. "T-they're Shujin students too! They're wearing the volleyball uniforms...!"

He gripped the iron bars separating him from the prisoners, struggling to remove the barrier. Inside of the cell were various helmeted captives tied into into a volleyball net; behind them were armored creatures bludgeoning them with a variety of other sports equipment.

"Ry-Ryuji, there's no way we can rescue them right now..." Akira murmured, pointing at the armored creatures. "We can't stand a chance against those things...b-besides, we don't know if Kamoshida is going to escape..."

"B-but...! God, this is effin' messed up...!" he grit out, searching his pockets for his phone. Akira took the unconscious cat from his arms to help him search. "L-let's at least get pictures of this for proof...!"

He groaned in aggravation as his cell phone proved obsolete despite its relatively full battery.

"Let me try mine..." Akira stated, shuffling hers out of her blazer as she cradled the cat in one arm. "...Hm?"

Akira's screen was comprised of nothing but the pulsating red and black eye; the same logo as the mysterious app on her phone. In the corner of the screen were the words META-NAV: KAMOSHIDA, PERVERT, CASTLE.

"The hell is that...?" Ryuji asked as he glanced at the screen in confusion. "Meta-Nav...? A-anyway, let me at least try and memorize the uniform numbers so we can try and see if these guys are in school tomorrow..."

"J-just hurry up, okay?" Akira urged, constantly checking over their shoulders for any guards. 

"...Okay, I think I got it for now," Ryuji said as he gripped his leg and squeezed. "...Let's get the hell out of here!"

"B-by the way, how did a cat get in here...?" Akira asked as the two proceeded to ascend the spiral staircase out of the dungeon. "It...is a cat, right? It looks more like an anime mascot..."

"Don't ask me; it was already in there and zonked out by the time I got tossed in," Ryuji scoffed. "I felt bad just leaving him though, you know? Especially since we left Kamoshida in there...I wouldn't want this thing to be locked up with him!"

Akira continued to lead Ryuji to the entrance of the castle, which she could remember as being distinguishable due to its grand portrait of Kamoshida represented as a god-like figure.

"All of the guards must be lookin for Kamoshida..." 

"It's too empty..." Akira murmured, stopping suddenly. A piercing pain suddenly shot through her temples; she clutched her forehead, panting, as her vision suddenly changed.

Despite the empty entrance chamber, Akira's head strained as she could suddenly see faint shadowy blob-like forms encircling the room. 

"Ryuji, stop!"

Ryuji, who had failed to hear her words, continued running and found himself surrounded by armored creatures which suddenly emerged from the floor. He crashed right into one and yelped as he crashed to the ground. The unconscious cat fell alongside him, stirring slightly.

Hearing a snicker, Akira's gaze fell upon Kamoshida(?) grinning at the top of the staircase, right in front of his grandiose portrait. He descended the staircase slowly as if he was savoring his entrance onto the scene.

"I told you pieces of shit that I wouldn't let you leave here alive," Kamoshida(?) sneered, his foot pinning the side of Ryuji's head to the ground. "Perhaps I'll spare your good leg, Sakamoto, and crush your skull instead...unless, of course, my dear mistress wants to save you."

Akira flinched; in the blink of an eye, two more of Kamoshida(?)'s minions appeared beside her. Both were equipped with sharp spears aimed directly at Akira's throat.

"What do you want from me...?" Akira asked firmly, fingers twisting into a fist. "G-get off of him first."

"Your commands won't work on me anymore. Instead, you're going to listen to mine," Kamoshida(?) growled. "Strip."

"A-Akira, don't...!" Ryuji eked out, struggling to shake off Kamoshida's weight. "God, you effin' pervert...!"

"Either you die first or he dies first," Kamoshida(?) replied, his blade materializing in his hand. "Actually, Sakamoto, I would be doing you a favor by letting you die first. The last thing you see will be me having fun with your stupid whore while you can do nothing but watch."

"A-Akira, run...!" Ryuji screeched, writhing. "J-just leave me here!"

"Even if you run, there's no place you can hide from me," Kamoshida(?) grinned. "You can't escape from me."

The tips of the spears held by the armored creatures came dangerously close to Akira's flesh; one mere flick of their wrist and she would be skewered.

Akira shakily reached for her blazer, trembling fingers clutching onto a button. 

"That's better; just be a good little girl and listen to me. Maybe if you give me a good show I'll consider making your death...a little less painful."

 **"Are you really going to allow this?"** a voice suddenly boomed within Akira's head.

Akira gasped; her heart began to beat much faster than usual, much harder. A piercing pain shot up her spine and furiously echoed within her head; unlike the pain from moments earlier, this felt as though her head would twist right off of her neck. Fiery blue wisps emanated from her body as she began to convulse, writhing on the ground in agony. With blurred vision, she could see Kamoshida and his armored minions lying in a heap away from her after having been struck by her flames.

**"If you don't act now, both of you will die. Were your past actions merely a mistake? Are you truly content to die as a humiliated little girl, unable to fight back against the society that so wrongfully punished her? Will you allow yourself to fade into obscurity, your life and death both meaningless?"**

"I...I want to live...I want to live..." Akira exclaimed, clutching her forehead as sweat rolled down her cheeks. "I...I need to live...I don't want...to die yet..."

**"Excellent choice, my dear. I can sense your resolve. Vow to me; I am thou, thou art I. Call upon my name and release thy rage; harness your anger from the depths of hell and use it to scorch earth and heaven alike! Become the woman who will burn herself into infamy for the sake of her justice!"**

"I call upon you, Adler!"

Upon her face was a mask; all of the pain gripping her body in its grasp seemed to centralize from within it. With no hesitation, Akira grabbed the mask firmly and ripped it off of her face, blood and sweat intertwining as they dripped down her cheeks. 

As soon as the mask was ripped from her flesh, the blue wisps which emanated from her body intensified and enveloped her within. When the wisps dissipated, an entity appeared alongside Akira.

The strange entity was a willowy figure with an elaborate updo that seemed to be slowly unravelling-the loose lengths of hair seemed to gather behind the figure forming the shape of wings. The figure's face was obscured from both its hair and its wisps of hair; its body was seemingly covered in a form-fitting red silken robe. One hand was gloved in the same bright red as the body while the other hand appeared to be nothing more than a wispy, claw-like hand.

Akira herself appeared different-the black and white mask was now safely secured around her face rather than covered in her flesh and blood. She was garbed in a dark grey high-collar blouse and matching dark grey leggings; the black long coat that she wore on top had one sleeve, which was fitted with golden cufflinks that matched the golden clasps upon her chest, while the other sleeve was willowy and trimmed with lace-much like Adler. She wore bright red gloves on both hands and suddenly found herself holding a dagger.

"Adler, destroy them," Akira commanded, pointing to her enemies defiantly. She could feel raw power coursing through her veins, emanating from her fingertips. She stared directly at Kamoshida(?). "I'm not your fucking mistress!" 

The armored creatures wailed in unison as they were decimated by a shadowy void launched at them by Adler. Kamoshida(?) screeched as he scrambled to his feet and spirited himself away, sparing Akira and Ryuji no second glance as he vanished. 

"A-A-Akira! Wh-what the hell is that thing with you...?!" Ryuji yelped, scrambling to his feet. "W-why do you look like that?!"

"...I have no idea," Akira said calmly, staring at her new appearance in awe. "It feels good though. Anyway, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah...yeah, I am. And it's all thanks to you," Ryuji replied, staring at Akira intently. "...Thank you."

"Incredible..." a childlike voice interjected. "That was absolutely incredible...!"

"...Akira, did you hear something?" Ryuji asked, eyes scanning the room. "I-it sounded like a kid or something..."

"...It's the cat," Akira replied, staring at the now conscious mascot-like cat. "The cat...is talking."

"I am not a cat, thank you very much!" the cat(?) replied proudly. "I am Morgana."

+++++

"So you're saying that we were just inside of Kamoshida's 'cognition' and that the castle represents how he views Shujin? And that the thing that came out of Akira was a Persona, which is her 'rebellious spirit'?" Ryuji deadpanned, face frozen in skepticism. "And that you're supposedly a human who's now stuck as a cat, but denies being a cat, yet turns into a real cat in the real world? But only we can understand you?!"

Akira (now reunited with her dropped schoolbag), Morgana (now resembling a realistic cat) and Ryuji (now regretting having asked questions) sat safely in Shibuya station. 

"Yes. Wait, no. Well, yes but actually no," Morgana sighed. "Yes to everything except me being a cat."

"I'm pretty sure you're a cat right now," Akira replied, gently squishing Morgana'a paws. "But if you say so."

"And those prisoners were nothing but illusions of real students who are being abused by Kamoshida? A-and..."

"Ryuji, keep you voice down," Akira said softly. "We're in public."

"How are you so calm about this right now?!" Ryuji balked. "Am I the only one freaking out about everything?!"

"Well, at least you got the gist of my explanations fairly quickly," Morgana said to Akira, completely ignoring Ryuji. "Anyway, I would like to propose a deal with you two now that I explained everything: in exchange for guiding you two farther into Kamoshida's Palace to investigate, you'll help me figure out how to get my human body back."

"...I accept," Akira replied immediately. "I'll help you."

"Thank you, Lady Akira, for your quick answer," Morgana said happily. "I can already sense that this will be the beginning of a beautiful partnership." He leapt off of the bench gracefully, turning to stare at the two humans hopefully.

"...Lady Akira?"

"I-I wanna help too but I don't got a Persona thing like Akira does..." Ryuji murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "B-but I'll figure out a way to be useful, I promise!"

"Hmm..." Morgana hummed, staring at Ryuji intently. "Not yet, that is. Anyway, good to have you both onboard."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me? manipulating the timeline for my own purposes? more likely than u think !

**Author's Note:**

> alright that's all the time i got, i gotta get back to playing animal crossing new horizons for my nintendo switch


End file.
